How close to perfect should I expect?

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

We recently has decorators in to replaster/wallpaper our room. They've done it and it looks great. However today I noticed that the wall under the wallpaper is obviously bumpy in places. Not hugely but you can see it if looking for it. It's not it bubbling but the surface underneath. Is that reasonable or should it be a perfect surface as we paid them to do it? I've never used decorators before so no idea.

[Vdara27024]

Hi, DH and I always say someone's opinion of what is acceptable can be quite different to someone else's.
Can you remember if previously wall looked bumpy? Do you have an older house? Is new wallpaper very plain design/delicate paper? Sometimes a thicker/heavier textiled paper can be more forgiving to an imperfect wall and if had that previously you might not have noticed. Having recently finished 2 year stressful house extension have had fair amount of grief at being unhappy with a finishes decorator/builder had deemed acceptable.

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

It's a 1970s house. The walls had crappy textured and falling down paper up so its hard to say really. The plaster was in not great condition on other walls. It's a feature wall so the paper is s large pattern and very smooth so is unforgiving to bumps. The rest of the walls are lightly textured paper so wouldn't show up bumps etc.
I'm really reluctant to cause a fuss as hate things like that! But it's a lot of money too. Hmmm

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

I'll attach a picture. In some lights you can't tell. But others it's very obvious.

[Gotheftosleep]

That's not the decorator's fault, that's to do with the underlying condition of your walls, so to get it perfect, you'd need to strip and replanted the walls. It looks fine to me but then I live in a much older house where all the walls are a bit bumpy!

[ParadiseCity]

Hang on it was their job to plaster and then put up the paper? I wouldn't be happy with that result.

If you had only paid them to hang the paper, fair enough, but if the job including plastering I would expect the surface to be smooth!

[DoubleCarrick]

Tbh I'd say it depends how much you paid. Dh does a lot of high end stuff for customers who expect perfection. He allows for the extra time to do additional prep. Tell them you're not happy and get them to rectify as it shouldn't be bumpy

[SaggyNaggy]

Why are decorators plastering too?
If you nice smooth walls ypoud be better getting a professional plasterer to redo them I'd think?

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

They're a plasterer and a decorator which is why we used them as knew the wall condition might be crap. They weren't going to replaster entirely just repair where necessary. Which is why I'm not sure if I should make a fuss as at no point did we say we wanted a perfect finish, just the room decorating and returning to normal (it had weird bits of wood papered into the walls etc)
I just don't know if that is 'acceptable' or crap workmanship? If we didn't say we wanted an immaculate finish is that a standard finish?

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

On estimate it was plaster skim as required. Haven't seen the invoice yet as they only finished Friday

[ImBrian]

I would, if they were paid to plaster and prep walls then they haven't done it properly.

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

Id say we paid a reasonable amount for our area. Definitely not a high spec job or house. Just standard people!

[DoubleCarrick]

Maybe that's the problem - jack of all trades, master of none. Sounds like a decorator who has given plastering a go. Dh won't touch plastering with a barge pole. Incidentally, he decorated somewhere once and part way through the plaster just fell off the wall!

What area are you in op?

[ayeokthen]

If I'd paid for skim as required and then there was lumps under the paper I wouldn't be happy. I'd tell them to do it again without lumps, before I'd pay them.

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

We're in the North west. It's not one guy though, which is why we went with them rather than a standard decorator. It's a company we've used in the past for other jobs (not decorating but damp type jobs) I don't know for a fact that two people did the job as we weren't here but that's what they implied. I've no reason to distrust them on previous experience and other jobs have been done to a high standard id say. Which is why I'm wondering if my expectations are off than the standard of work .

[StubbleTurnips]

Was the wall actually skimmed before paper going on? How long did it take them

It takes a few days for the skim to dry - I wouldn't be painting or wallpapering on a newly skimmed wall for a week or so after its done:

[StubbleTurnips]

Meant to add that I wouldn't be happy with that job! DH has a thing about smooth walls and that paper showing lumps and bumps would drive him nuts.

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

I don't know stubble. They did it all within a week but did strip that wall first so they could've maybe done it in that time frame as we're still finishing Friday pm according to nosey neighbours! I'm guessing not though as they've skimmed the ceiling and it's immaculate so surely if they can do that they can do a wall properly?

[MargotLovedTom]

We extended a room and had a new wall plastered and it is perfectly smooth. I wouldn't be happy with that finish. The problem is if they redo it then you've wasted that wallpaper as well, which will have to replaced. Wondering if the company would the company cover that cost?

[MargotLovedTom]

Apologies for garbled post!

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

That's the thing margot - if I do make a fuss then I don't even know if i could be bothered with the hassle of reordering paper etc and having the debate over cost etc

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

I've emailed the boss and asked him to call me. I don't know if he'll have seen it so will use that as the starting point and see how he responds. If they didn't skim and we aren't paying for that then fair enough I think - we should've been more specific I guess?

[StubbleTurnips]

I'd guess that the wallpaper wall hasn't been skimmed, assuming the lines aren't wallpaper ripples / bubbles but underlying wall. And I'd also be if they'd done it all in a week. Depending on your room a day or so to prep / initial skim. Second day skim. 3-4 days to dry (ie bugger off to another job). Following week paint and paper. Unless they had heaters drying out the skim.

We've had issues in previous houses when we tried to paint drying plaster rushing a job

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

He came to look and it was way more pleasant than I anticipated. They hadn't skimmed as hoped it wouldn't need it. He hadn't seen it until today and was disappointed with it. He offered to pull it off, skim and repaper intake money off the final invoice. Which I accepted as can't be bothered with it getting redone. Thanks for the advice all, much appreciated.